Are kids becoming phone addicts?

THERE was a time when children's telecommunications meant two
cans connected with string or, for luckier kids, a set of
walkie-talkies.

But today the mobile phone has become ubiquitous in school
playgrounds, with children as young as five having their own. A
company in England is even targeting toddlers with a phone designed
in the shape of a teddy
bear.

Three-quarters of Australian children aged 12 to 14 own a mobile
phone but by the time they are 15 that number surges to 90 per
cent, according to figures from the Australian Communications and
Media Authority.

"Because it's parents who come in and sign up for the phones
it's difficult to say exactly how much this area has grown but the
age at which kids get phones is getting younger," says Carmen
Gould, head of customer service at retail chain Crazy John's.
"Whereas before it was often teenagers getting mobiles, it's not
unusual now for parents to buy phones for children as young as
eight."

Most parents cite the peace of mind that comes from being able
to contact their children at any time as the main reason behind the
trend.

"All research into this trend suggests that parents believe that
they can improve the safety and security of their children by
giving them a phone," says Randal Markey of the Australian Mobile
Telecommunications Association.

This view is backed by the most recent study of mobile use among
youngsters by the NSW Commission for Children and Young People.
After interviewing 1500 children for its Mobile Me report,
it concluded it was nearly always parents who decided to get their
children phones - to contact them in "case of emergencies". The
other reason was that a phone would give greater independence.

Yet this trend has created concerns. In September a Swedish
scientist said children and teenagers were five times more likely
to get brain cancer if they used a mobile phone.

Psychologists have warned children can become too reliant on
their phones - or "phone addicts". And academics suggest that kids
are ill prepared to understand the financial responsibilities that
come with a mobile phone.

Most contentious is the research linking mobiles to brain
tumours. While the World Health Organisation and the Australian
Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency say there is no
evidence of this connection, some researchers say thinner skulls
and smaller brains put children at greater risk.

But one area less disputed is that many children, especially
those who sign up to a monthly plan, can rack up huge bills. Deakin
University's Dr Nina Weerakkody has studied the financial
implications of children owning mobile phones.

"It can be a huge problem for some children, who can run up
bills of up to $500 a month. They have little concept of what they
are spending c this can lead to getting into constant debt, a
very bad financial situation which they can carry on into their
adult life with things like credit cards."

As for addiction, two Spanish teenagers made headlines around
the world in June when they were admitted to a mental health clinic
for "phone addiction". The children, 12 and 13, were sent there by
their parents, who said they could not carry out normal activities
without their mobiles and would spend six hours a day on them.

Such extreme behaviour is uncommon, Queensland University of
Technology psychologist Shari Walsh says.

"There are certainly teenagers who we are seeing that have an
over-reliance on their mobiles and who become anxious at the
prospect of going without their phone.

"They worry that they'll run out of battery or credit and
they'll be forced to go without this way of communicating with
their network of friends. It's a big fear for them and it
illustrates just how important they see the phone as being to their
lives."

Parents ring in the changes

¡ 80 per cent of parents said there were some or many
benefits of a child owning a phone; 59 per cent said a phone kept
children in touch with family.

¡ 69 per cent of parents contribute to their child's
phone bill occasionally; 31 per cent paid it in full.

¡ One-fifth of parents said their child spent more
than $50 a month on calls and texts; only 7 per cent said this was
a reasonable amount.

¡ Among children aged eight to 11, 18 per cent owned
phones; in the 12-to-14 group, 75 per cent owned one ; and in the
15-and-over group, 90 per cent.